see a tremendous increase in their num- bers — a bloom of redfish,” he says. Improvements in tackle have cer- tainly aided the pursuit of redfish — braided line, advanced lures and new techniques — but most notably the advent of winter wade fishing on Calcasieu Lake has opened the door for redfish anglers. Wading in Louisiana? Believe it or
not, yes.
The South Louisiana coast is mostly vast shallow marshes with soft muddy bottoms, but Calcasieu finds itself nes- tled geographically and geologically somewhere in the middle of what could be described as a Texas-style open bay estuary with some of the characteristics of regular Louisiana marsh. These unique characteristics make it a quality destination that has been traditionally prosecuted using trolling and drifting techniques.
18
We spent the next several hours quietly wading in clear, knee-deep water
and releasing mostly redfish from 5 to 10 pounds.
Stansel asserts, however, that he start- ed seeing people wading in the lake itself consistently in early 2000. “It certainly is a productive way to fish — especially in the winter,” he says. Some of the lake’s shorelines are made up of sandy, oyster-filled bot-
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toms, while other areas are unique stretches of soft marsh edges between cuts and bayous — too soft and deep to wade. Low air temperatures and low water levels of winter create wide open spaces for excellent, undisturbed fish- ing. Those willing to brave the cold of late winter will discover that short day- light hours make it possible to fish from daylight to dark, usually taking advantage of two tidal changes.
BY LAND OR SEA
I won’t lie to you — it seems ridicu- lous to board a bay boat when the mer- cury hovers in the 30s. These are the kind of days when you can feel the bite of the wind no matter how many layers you have buried yourself under. On just such a frigid morning, I found myself grumpily throttling my boat on plane — racing to meet my partner in the cold twilight of a winter morning.
TIDE
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